Deep Dark (Tracers, #10)

by Laura Griffin

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Let me begin by saying that I have never read anything written by Laura Griffin prior to this. I was going into this story blindly as I had no idea what to expect. When I realised that this was part of a series and book number 10 at that I was a bit concerned that it could not be read as a stand-alone. However, my concerns were short-lived as I discovered that all the books in the series can be read on its own.

I have read several books in the romantic suspense genre and I come to realise there are few authors who can provide the right balance of romance and suspense. Laura Griffin has proven to be one of those authors.

The story started out with a bang. This set the pace for the remainder of the story. I knew from the outset that this was going to be an exciting and suspenseful read. I could not wait to see how the story would unfold.

The female protagonist, Delaney Knox, clearly stole the show. She is a cyber-investigator/white hacker who works for the Delphi Cybercrime unit. She is good at what she does. She is a loner by choice. She avoids socializing. She was not keen on law enforcement officers as she thought they were rigid and authoritative. However, she will find herself providing unsolicited assistance to them when a past acquaintance was murdered. This murder hit close to home as such she felt compelled to provide clues via text messages to the lead detective Reed Novak.

Detective Reed Novak has found himself embroiled in a homicide investigation that is proving to be the most challenging case of his career. The killer is sharp and the cops are stunned as he leaves no trace evidence. It was assumed as a result that this was not the killer’s first victim. As the investigation progresses Reed’s theory had been proven and the cops have come to realise that there was a serial killer in their midst. The receipt of text messages from an anonymous source providing him clues about the murder had him intrigued, and so he set out to uncover the identity of the sender. However, he was not prepared for his reaction to the mysterious sender.

It was evident that there was chemistry between the Laney and Reed. Reed, however, was a bit wary due to the 15-year age difference between them, but this did not phase Laney one bit. She knew what she wanted and she was not afraid to go for it. It was this approach, she applied to every aspect of her life. I thought they were worked well together in all areas.

I thought the plot was well researched. The story was detailed and easy to follow. The plot was believable and the pacing was good. "Deep Dark" is the type of story that grabs you from the first page and holds you in its grip until the end. It had me turning the pages as I was eager to discover who the killer was. I thought it had the right blend of romance and suspense. This was one of those times that I had a hard time guessing who it was. Even at the end when all was revealed I was in a state of shock as I never saw it coming.

This story highlighted the inherent danger of dating sites. It also demonstrated how the electronic devices that we have come to rely on daily can be detrimental as such, we need to exercise caution when using them.

Verdict: This was a fun, exciting and suspenseful read which I recommend to fans of this genre. I will be looking to read the other books written by this author.